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WhatsApp gives users an ultimatum: Share data with Facebook or stop using app

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Re: WhatsApp gives users an ultimatum: Share data with Facebook or stop using app

#191

Post by jamiek88 »

subaquamille wrote: post #124
FalconSensei wrote: post #82

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I had success at least moving my parents and sister to chat with me on Telegram. I was having weird issues with Telegram video call (very low sound on my parent's phones), so I still had to call them on Whatsapp. Also, didn't find any audio call option on Telegram, only video call.

Contrats ! Genuine question: Why don't you use phone call for audio-only calls ? In my experience the quality is better and degrades better. Is it because of bundles quota? In my country most plans includes unlimited voice but not sure what's the "world norm".

Well a 6 minute conversation cost me $21 on Xmas day from USA to Europe.

Re: WhatsApp gives users an ultimatum: Share data with Facebook or stop using app

#193

Post by FalconSensei »

subaquamille wrote: post #124
FalconSensei wrote: post #82

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I had success at least moving my parents and sister to chat with me on Telegram. I was having weird issues with Telegram video call (very low sound on my parent's phones), so I still had to call them on Whatsapp. Also, didn't find any audio call option on Telegram, only video call.

Contrats ! Genuine question: Why don't you use phone call for audio-only calls ? In my experience the quality is better and degrades better. Is it because of bundles quota? In my country most plans includes unlimited voice but not sure what's the "world norm".

Because making a cellphone call to an overseas cellphone number costs way too much vs free?

Edit: sometimes I also start with an audio call, but midway there's something I want to show them, so we switch to video by just pressing 1 button.

Re: WhatsApp gives users an ultimatum: Share data with Facebook or stop using app

#194

Post by Totomi »

Ok, here it goes.

I like Whatsapp, and this change seems in line with what Whatsapp always has been. Of course I'm always wary of advancements, ready to uninstall it if really bad news arrive, but in general Whatsapp has been respectful of its users, especially those that are privacy concerned.

They hired a lead developer from Signal to implement E2E encryption, its functionality is almost completely transperent, which reduces the need to inspect source code to understand functionality. The most severe of privacy criticisms have amounted to "Facebook knows who you message and at what times you message", which is a very good position for a 2B user platform to be in, since it doesn't read message contents.

I have tried Signal, but I cannot recommend it to family (yet), since I don't find what they do with metadata harmful, it's just a price to pay for the otherwise free app, like advertisement. Anyone who has recommended Signal so far sounded like an inflexible Stallman fundamentalist. I reserve my voice for other more serious incidents, if there is a successful warrant for message contents or if there is ad targetting based on message contents, then I will start sounding the horns, but for now: Meh.

Re: WhatsApp gives users an ultimatum: Share data with Facebook or stop using app

#195

Post by qalmakka »

frereubu wrote: post #22

I'd love to give up WhatsApp, but network effects are key here. I tried moving my extended family off WhatsApp onto Signal a couple of years ago and it failed miserably because the app wasn't nearly as easy to use, and they had all their friends on Whatsapp. Has anyone here had any success moving a large group of people onto something like Signal or Telegram? If so, do you have any tips?

I managed to get almost everyone I know on Telegram in the last few years, to the point I get a WhatsApp message less than once a week. On the other hand, I usually hundreds of messages daily on Telegram. It's not hard if there's already interest among the people you talk with and you find the right way to get them on board.

Re: WhatsApp gives users an ultimatum: Share data with Facebook or stop using app

#196

Post by kleiba »

seesawtron wrote: post #146
utf_8x wrote: post #62

Once again - Signal[0] as an alternative. It's fully Open-Source (including the backend) and their crypto is public and independently verified[1][2][3]... [0] https://signal.org/en/ [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Signal_(software)#Encryption_p ... [2] https://threatpost.com/signal-audit-reveals-protocol-cryptog ... [3] https://eprint.iacr.org/2016/1013.pdf [PDF]

Social life is impossible without the mainstream technology. Sure you can find alternatives but if no one uses it other than you, you end up being sidelined. The technology gets enforced and leaves one with no choice but to accept it or be a red flag. Shouldn't it be possible to delete your whatsapp chat and contacts data regularly from the cloud? Eg. one could delete the whatsapp account, clear data on cloud and mak…

Social life is impossible without the mainstream technology.

I've never owned a cell phone nor ever had a social media account in my life. Sure, it gets me the occasional eye roll but trust me, my social life is just fine.

Caveat: old person speaking.

Re: WhatsApp gives users an ultimatum: Share data with Facebook or stop using app

#197

Post by CincinnatiMan »

frereubu wrote: post #180
misiti3780 wrote: post #165

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why not just use SMS/iMessage groups ?

You can't do group chats in the same way using SMS messages. People who receive an SMS have no idea who else the message was sent to, so they can't even "reply all".

The person you're replying to probably meant MMS which can be used for group texting as you're describing.

Re: WhatsApp gives users an ultimatum: Share data with Facebook or stop using app

#198

Post by jsinai »

frereubu wrote: post #22

I'd love to give up WhatsApp, but network effects are key here. I tried moving my extended family off WhatsApp onto Signal a couple of years ago and it failed miserably because the app wasn't nearly as easy to use, and they had all their friends on Whatsapp. Has anyone here had any success moving a large group of people onto something like Signal or Telegram? If so, do you have any tips?

Sure the network effect is strong but let’s not forget how WhatsApp got here in the first place: people installing a strange new app, often shared by their friends via a text message invite link. I remember sitting in a circle with a group of friends one night 10+ years ago while each of us installed WhatsApp and had our first conversations on the app. It was a time when BBM was dominant and cross-platform messaging was new. Fast forward to today and already many of my groups are switching to Telegram or Signal.

The move can be made faster now because groups are so prevalent on WhatsApp.

Re: WhatsApp gives users an ultimatum: Share data with Facebook or stop using app

#199

Post by spiznnx »

afandian wrote: post #116
utf_8x wrote: post #94

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The APK is really not that hard to find... https://signal.org/android/apk/ That page also states "Advanced users with special needs can download the Signal APK directly. Most users should not do this under normal circumstances." which IMO is a very good point. Downloading random APKs from the internet is rarely a good idea...

Yeah you can search for it but it's not obvious from the site. I just think it's a shame that it's touted as open source but they don't appear to have given much thought to the open source demographic. It's not on f-droid.

They have given it thought, and have purposely decided not to distribute it through f-droid [0]. Yes you have to search for it, but if you are savvy enough to use un-googled android, you will be likely able to find it.

0. https://github.com/signalapp/Signal-Android/issues/9044#issu...

Re: WhatsApp gives users an ultimatum: Share data with Facebook or stop using app

#200

Post by seesawtron »

kleiba wrote: post #196
seesawtron wrote: post #146

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Social life is impossible without the mainstream technology. Sure you can find alternatives but if no one uses it other than you, you end up being sidelined. The technology gets enforced and leaves one with no choice but to accept it or be a red flag. Shouldn't it be possible to delete your whatsapp chat and contacts data regularly from the cloud? Eg. one could delete the whatsapp account, clear data on cloud and mak…

Social life is impossible without the mainstream technology. I've never owned a cell phone nor ever had a social media account in my life. Sure, it gets me the occasional eye roll but trust me, my social life is just fine. Caveat: old person speaking.

yeah depends on which stage of life you are living in. Sadly doesn't work for everybody but doesn't hurt to give it a try if someone wants to.
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